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3.0 

Ragman

By JG Faherty
Ragman by JG Faherty digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

If you love a great horror tale with ancient mummies, a deluded priest and two oddball cops, then you're in for a treat...

"Conjuring ancient secrets, and with a body count that is out of this world, Ragman blends history and myth in a gritty procedural that severs bone and sears skin. Outstanding.” - Lee Murray, USA Today Bestselling author and four-time Bram Stoker Award® winner

“If ever there was a cautionary tale about not robbing temples, this is it. The spiritual rage of ancient Egypt catches up with modern America in a complex, dazzling, bloodthirsty epic of demonic revenge. Hold on to your heads!”- Graham Masterton

In 1882, a group of British soldiers plunder an Egyptian temple and kill the high priest. The priest vows revenge, and is finally revived in the present day. He finds the great-grandson of the man who killed him, but they form an uneasy partnership to get back all the stolen artifacts and send all the descendants of the other soldiers to the Underworld. Two police officers, former partners who had a falling out, must put aside their differences as they go from trying to solve gruesome, unexplained murders to risking their lives to stop the supernatural mummy the priest has called forth.

5 Reviews

3.0
“When I needed a Mummy book for part of a GoodReads challenge, my mind immediately went to Stoker's The Jewel of Seven Stars, but then I was like, "Curses, foiled again," because I read that last year. For some reasons, mummies aren't big in horror fiction. On the screen, yes, but on the printed page... Well, the pickings are slim. And thus the search began. Eventually, I stumbled across Ragman by JG Faherty, and two things sold me on this book. Besides the fact that it was about mummies, the deciding factor was that it took place in NYC. As a native New Yorker, I'm a sucker for anything that takes place in and around the Big Apple. The book opens in Egypt, 1888, where we witness a group of men descecrating the ruins of a temple and killing one of the priests, allowing them to get away with artifacts stolen from the premises. As always happens among friends when money is in the picture, there's treachery, and one man ends up taking the fall for all of them. Jump to present day, New York City, where we witness the awakening of Ahmes the Second, High Priest of Sokar, risen from the dead to carry out a blood oath. One year later, someone is killing homeless people, literally sucking the lives right out of them. Elsewhere in the city, someone is killing of some of society's elite gentlemen, literally ripping them apart. Tom Reardon, a retired/disgraced detective now working security detail, answers a cry for help against his better judgement. After all, he's not a cop anymore, but a deeply rooted sense of duty has him springing into action. It almost costs him his life. Later, at the precinct, after giving his statement, he comes face to face with his old partner, Daniel Reese. There's history between the two, some good, some bad, and it's the bad that overshadows their reunion. Reese is responsible for investigating the Ragman murders, the death of the elite gentlemen, one of whom will turn out to be Reardon's employer. As a result, the two former friends are forced to work together to try to find out who is behind the killings before anyone else dies. They don't do a very good job of it, not at first, but what can you expect when two men firmly rooted in reality are forced to confront the supernatural. It isn't until they become targets themselves that they begin to accept the fact that what they are dealing with isn't exactly human. And how do the brutal murders tie in to the string of homeless murders? Ragman isn't an out-and-out horror novel, but a combination of who-dunnit and Friday the 13th, part mystery/part slasher fiction that's heavy on the supernatural. It's well paced and the characters are likeable enough. Reardon comes across as an Everyman, far from perfect, able to make mistakes and accept the consequences of his actions, which makes him more relateable. Reese, on the other hand, is an extreme character, in that he reacts more emotionally to things than Reardon, and as a result, tends to harbor grudges that border on the irrational. As a result, it takes a while to warm up to Reese as a character. There are times, I must admit, where I kind of wished Reese had fallen victim to the Ragman so I don't have to deal with the whiny, angsty emotions he's struggling with. But by the end, you're rooting for the pair like they were Batman and Robin. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its share of issues. I tend to visualize while I read. What I mean by that is the scene unfolds like a movie screen in my mind. As a result, there were a few details in the beginning that threw me as not being possible (yeah, I know we're dealing with a supernatural slasher, so nothing is actually possible), but these were details rooted in reality, minor details that made me go, "Huh?" And then there were the eye-roll moments, which, for me, is when one of the characters took a tour of the Other Side. I had the same problem with the movie Insidious. I thought it was great---until the characters ventured over to the other side. That's where it lost me. Thankfully, though, in Ragman, this is a mercifully short visit before we're thrust back to the "reality" of Faherty's world. If you're a fan of mysteries, slashers, or supernatural thrillers, this is one I would definitely recommend.”
“Gruesome murders are taking place in New York and there seems to be a link to Ancient Egypt- but surely there can't actually be a murderous mummy on the loose, can there?! This was an interesting combination of crime story and supernatural horror story. I'm not sure it was completely successful- I feel we had too many murders for too many reasons. However, it was a novel take on what is a well-trodden path and it did keep me reading to find out what would happen. Thanks to the author, Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.”
“Have any of your ancestors wronged a high priest in service of the Eqyptian God Sokar? You had better hope not because they can hold a massive, centuries-long grudge—and they have unstoppable mummies at their disposal. Book Information Thanks to Flame Tree Press for providing me with an advance copy of Ragman by J.G. Faherty. The book is 256 pages and is scheduled for publication on January 10, 2023. Faherty is the author of nine novels, eleven novellas, and more than seventy-five short stories, and has been a finalist for both the Bram Stoker Award (The Cure, Ghosts of Coronado Bay) and ITW Thriller Award (The Burning Time). He is also a member of the Horror Writers Association—a member in good standing if this book is any indication. Plot Summary In the late 1800, eleven British soldiers discover and rob an Egyptian temple, in the process killing the high priest. Fast forward to current day, the eleven decedents of the soldiers are now wealthy and successful based on the plundered riches. But, the priest had vowed revenge and had the supernatural means to enact it and recover the stolen treasures. Horrible, gruesome, and unexplainable murders begin. The meager information available points toward a huge, inhumanly strong assailant wrapped in rags. It’s up to a pair of dysfunctional cops, and a talented but even more troubled former partner of one of the cops to solve the mystery and prevent further murders—including their own. My Thoughts I enjoyed Ragman. There aren’t many recent books with a mummy as a villain/monster and even fewer that are satisfying. JG Faherty’s well-written tome thrusts the mummy back into the forefront of monster lore and will no doubt reignite excitement for this horrific, mythical beast. The book does an excellent job of blending history with religion, myth, and lore. Readers may recognize gods used in recent movies or mini-series (for example Anibus with his golden scale) which adds some familiarity. It’s not necessary to understand or enjoy the book but adds to the enjoyment if you are familiar. It allows for even more appreciation as Faherty’s story isn’t in any way repetitive of others, rather adding to what readers might already know. I also enjoyed the interaction and relationships between the main characters. It’s a web of interlocking, strained at best, dysfunctional at worst, connections that work to resolve issues while trying to survive. The book is well-paced and does a good job of revealing the strengths/powers and limitations of the Mummy. I found the descriptions and imagery of current-day, historical and mythical locations to be well done. Recommendation If you like horror, monsters, or crime-noir (with high, gruesome body counts) then this book is for you. You will finish with a renewed appreciation for the Mummy as a horror protagonist and a hope that you have no tomb raiders in your family tree. Great book. Rating Four strong mummified stars.”

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